Development of a dental diet-tracking mobile app for improved caries-related dietary behaviours: Key features and pilot evaluation of quality

Objective

Diet significantly contributes to dental decay (caries) yet monitoring and modifying patients' diets is a challenge for many dental practitioners. While many oral health and diet-tracking mHealth apps are available, few focus on the dietary risk factors for caries. This study aims to present the development and key features of a dental-specific mobile app for diet monitoring and dietary behaviour change to prevent caries, and pilot data from initial user evaluation.

Methods

A mobile app incorporating a novel photo recognition algorithm and a localised database of 208,718 images for food item identification was developed. The design and development process were iterative and incorporated several behaviour change techniques commonly used in mHealth. Pilot evaluation of app quality was assessed using the end-user version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (uMARS).

Results

User feedback from the beta-testing of the prototype app spurred the improvement of the photo recognition algorithm and addition of more user-centric features. Other key features of the final app include real-time prompts to drive actionable behaviour change, goal setting, comprehensive oral health education modules, and visual metrics for caries-related dietary factors (sugar intake, meal frequency, etc.). The final app scored an overall mean (standard deviation) of 3.6 (0.5) out of 5 on the uMARS scale.

Conclusion

We developed a novel diet-tracking mobile app tailored for oral health, addressing a gap in the mHealth landscape. Pilot user evaluations indicated good app quality, suggesting its potential as a useful clinical tool for dentists and empowering patients for self-monitoring and behavioural management.

Functional Dentition, Chronic Periodontal Disease and Frailty in Older Adults-A Narrative Review

BACKGROUND

The likelihood of experiencing the impact of chronic disease rises with age, and cumulative functional deficits over time increase the risk of frailty in older adults. The exact causes of frailty are not clear, and research is needed to identify appropriate intervention measures to reduce risk of developing frailty in old age.

OBJECTIVE

To review the evidence on the relationship between frailty, dental status and chronic periodontitis and to determine if improvements in oral health of older adults can contribute to reversal of frailty.

RESULTS

The oral cavity is the entry point to the gastro-intestinal tract, and natural teeth facilitate efficient mastication of food prior to swallowing and subsequent digestion. The loss of natural teeth, which is gradual and cumulative over the life course, is associated with diminished nutritional intake, especially in older adults. Furthermore, chronic periodontitis has been postulated as a risk factor for frailty. The evidence supporting a strong relationship between oral health status and frailty is not clearcut. Cross sectional studies suggest an association with missing teeth and chronic periodontal inflammation. However, there are very few longitudinal studies and accordingly, it is not currently possible to claim a causal relationship. As yet, there is no evidence to suggest that improvements in oral health contribute to reversal of frailty.

CONCLUSION

Longitudinal studies with robust designs are required to better inform the relationship across functional dentition, chronic periodontitis and frailty in older adults.

Microwave drying of high strength dental stone: effects on dimensional accuracy

High-strength dental stone is widely used to produce dies for the fabrication of restorations with the lost-wax technique. It is normal to wait at least 24 hours for casts to dry and gain sufficient strength prior to initiating laboratory procedures. This waiting time may be greatly reduced by using microwave drying. This study determined the optimum microwave energy density for preserving working die accuracy of a Type IV high-strength dental stone (Silky Rock; Whipmix). Cylindrical die specimens were fabricated according to manufacturer's instructions and allowed to set for one hour. The specimens were subsequently treated as follows: Group I (Control group)--air dried; Group II--microwaved at 700W for 40 seconds; Group III--microwaved at 490W for 60 seconds. The percentage weight loss of cylindrical specimens (n = 6) and the percentage dimensional change (n = 7) of die specimens in three axes (x, y and z) were determined at 30 minutes, 1 hour and 24 hours after air drying/microwaving. Weight loss was measured using an electronic digital balance, while dimensional changes were assessed using image analysis software. Data was subject to ANOVA/Scheffe's tests at significance level 0.05. No significant difference in percentage weight loss was observed between air drying for 24 hours and microwaved specimens at all time intervals. Although no significant difference in percentage dimensional changes was observed between specimens microwaved at 490W for 60 seconds and specimens air dried for 24 hours, significant changes in x, y and z dimensions were observed after microwaving at 700W for 40 seconds at various time intervals. Microwave radiation at 490W for 60 seconds is recommended for drying Type IV high-strength dental stone. Further investigations are required to determine changes in physical properties associated with the aforementioned microwave power density.